Here we go

NEW YORK _ It’s Game 7.
The moment we have all been waiting for. Decided to spend the day at Madison Square Garden. Couldn’t find a room in the city because of the NFL draft. Took a walk for lunch. Now we wait.
Travel arrangements are made for Florida.
They are made for Philadelphia as well.
We may just be coming home for a locker cleanout.
Hard to predict.
I said it would take 7 for the Senators to win this series.
Here we are at Game 7.
Matt Carkner and Zenon Konopka are both questionmarks.
Not sure if they are going to play.
They weren’t on the ice for the morning skate.
Enjoy Game 7. It should be fun either way.

Good effort last night but the Rangers were the better team through most of the game. We can’t blame the refs for the loss, but again, the refereeing was awful. The non-call when Prust bumped Anderson, was one thing, but the call on Cowan was really head scratching. Anyways, the Sen’s future is looking good, with their goaltending and kids like Silferberg and Zibby. Also, the Sen’s young players like Cowan and Karlsson should be even better next year.

I’m a Ranger fan who didn’t want to face the Senators (and I was right). Both teams are very young and if management doesn’t mess up either franchise, may very well dominate the East for a decade. Karlsson may be the most dominant player in the league. He had a stretch last night in the third that made me think of Bobby Orr vs. the Flyers in the Cup final the first year Philly won.

So Don has nothing but derogatory things to say about Spezza and the other paper calls him “the Dud” last night. Unbelievable. I find Spezza-haters actively seek out opportunities to criticize his play. Certainly everyone makes mistakes but for some reason, there is a hyper-sensitivity to those made by Spezza. Those same fans that amplify his gaffs, never acknowledge his brilliance. The other paper said he was blanked by the Ranger players but he finished the series with 5 points in 7 games and plus two where as Prasie Alfie got a goal last night but was minus 1 which means he was on the ice for 2 goals scored against and there were only 3 in total. He gets 2 points in 5 games and is minus 2. Never the less, he is canonized and Spezza vilified – I don’t get it. Had it been Spezza who supernova’ed on the bench, you would have read and heard volumes from the haters. But, because it was Praise Alfie, it was the absolute right thing to do. Karlsson has done very little in the last five weeks. He never took it out of second gear last night when the coach told him he needed to skate. He didn’t get a point. He was often caught up the ice often and frequently out of position. He was the reason the Rangers scored a goal because he chased someone in his own end who did not have the puck and left Anderson completely alone. He was minus 1 but it is not note worthy. The Norris Trophy Candidate had but one point in the entire series and it was from a fluke goal. He did nothing on the PP and was as always, God awful in his own end. If you wanted to see a defenceman skate with the puck you should have seen the diminutive Campbell for Florida. I felt sorry for Cowen who was absolutely horrendous but, Spezza gets the Dud. Condra, Obrien, Greening, Gilroy, were all awful and some the entire series, but, Spezza is the target of criticism. The media are so hell bent for leather to celebrate anything Swede, it makes me ill. Zibanejad scored only 5 goals in the SEL (where Silfverberg and Rund’sbad dominated), hasn’t scored a point in the NHL but he is celebrated! The fact that Silfverberg touched the puck 4 times all night and 3 times in the 3rd period was enough to get most giddy. Never the less, the boys worked hard and I am proud of them. Alfredsson will not be back. Philips, Gonchar, Kuba will be a year older, softer and slower. Gonchar may be gone. Gilroy is a bum and probably wont be here which means there will me more youngsters on the back end. Cowen, in spite of what Don says, will never be a star (very slow feet). Dog, Klink, Konopka, OmyGod’brien, Daisey the Air Rifle, Condra (2 goals the last 26-27 games) are not NHLers. I will always cheer for the Senators but my suspicion is they will not be better next year. Youth and inexperience will take its toll. We may, get to see Petersson if he is let out of the Dog House, only then will Don and the rest fall in love with him. Well done this year Sens, you did us proud.

Right now the loss still stings. But a lot positives could be seen for the future. While both Cowen and Karlsson struggled at times, you could really see how great they might be in the future as top 2 defencemen. Also, Silverbeg was incredible in the last part of the 3rd.

The only negative was that Alfie was still the best player on the ice. This scares me considering his age and possible retirement. He can no longer be a crutch. This has to be Spezza’s team and he needs to step up more in crucial games.

Dennis, Sifverberg was “incredible” in the 3rd period? How? It amazes the hell out of me how we can be so easily influenced. If no goals, no assists, no shots on net and no hits is “incredible”, then I am judging players differently. Alfredsson was on the ice for two goals scored against! He had six shots because he played with a good centerman in Turris who gets him the puck! Michalek had six shots on net because, fpor the most part, he plays with Spezza but couldn’t bury the biscuit. Spezza was on the ice for one goal scored against because Karlsson was busy navel gazing in his own end (no interest in defence).

You suggest that Cowen and Karlsson struggled at times…are you serious? Cowen was embarrassingly bad, but at least he made tried. Karlsson didn’t even make an effort the last game and the entire series. He didn’t register a single shot on net (and he is a Norris Trophy finalist????). HE DIDN’T REGISTER A SINGLE SHOT ON NET IN THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME IN HIS LIFE! and you say he struggled at times? C’mon Dennis.

Alfresson was the best guy on the ice? I am getting sick again. He should be made Mayor, no Premier, no Prime Minister…No, he is God! Praise Alfie!!!!! Let it go pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!

Let’s just say that we see things differently. You love to eat the young. You’ve stated that Cowen would never play in the NHL. That Karlsson should’ve been traded. I’ve always preferred to be patient with young players. Now it’s Silfverberg.

He did play well at the end. In fact, he was much more visible than Spezza, controlling the puck and setting up others.

Karlsson did not have a good series by his standards. But he’s 21. Spezza also did not have a good series by his standards. He’s not 21. I was scared every time he had the puck. This was not a series do dangle and try drop passes, but there he was doing it.

Of course you trot out the stats when they are convenient. I use my eyes.

You have your favourite and you’re never impartial. What about Smith missing open nets? But he’s still young and learning as far as I’m concerned. The same patience should be given to others, in my opinion.

I love to eat the young? Not so Dennis. I have been the guy who hated Murray making the team one of the oldest and slowest team in the NHL! I have always supported youth, courage, speed and skill. I loved Spezza as a 20 year old when Martin was shaming him. I loved Hossa, Vermette, Fisher, Schubert. I loved Smith who scored 24 goals in the AHL as a rookie but invexplicably always took a back seat to Dasiey the Air Rifle. I always liked Peter Regin who often sat in the press box with Smith to make room for Daisey the Air Rifle (a move no doubt, you supported). Patrick Eaves was another kid I loved and he scored 16 goals as a rookie with the team before being traded away for old men. Where we differ is you will do what you are told, I wont. You are told to embrace anything the Murrays do and never question. Gilroy was a good move. Playing two kids in the post season, inteligent. Karlsson the last 5 weeks and in the post season was fantastic. The fact is, Karlsson didn’t have a good series by any standard Dennis. If a defenceman who doesn’t go into corners, doesn’t block shots, doesn’t hit, doesn’t kill penalties, isn’t scoring or assisting on goals, what is his value? Did you see his tremendous speed Dennis. Did you see any effort? He didn’t have a single assist in the entire series and didn’t register a single shot in the last game and he is the “quarterback” on the powerplay! Is this what you saw Dennis? Am I eating young or am I simply stating what happened? Spezza on the other hand, had 5 points in 7 games and for 3 games of those 7 games he played with kids who never played a single game before in the NHL one was fresh out of Junior!!!!! Is this different from what you saw Dennis? What stat is convenient? The other paper again today celebrates a scared little one dimensional kid who sucked in the post season; not one word about his poor play but, an entire article is dedicated to what you see is what you get from Spezza. God is universally worshipped by you and the fickle hordes. He was described as one of the best Senators in the playoffs but he got only 2 points and along with Cowan led the team with minus 3!!!! Is this different from what you saw Dennis? Why wouldn’t God play with 2 kids for 3 games? As for Cowan, I never said he wouldn’t play in the NHL but I have often said he is a borderline NHL who is there only because of his size and must keep his game extremely simple to survive. I have also said he has no quickness and for a mountain of a man, he doesn’t punish anyone. Again, is this different from what you see Dennis? Now its Silfverberg? What are you talking about? Is it wrong for me to question the wisdom of disrupting the chemistry with an outsider who didn’t want to be here and didn’t want to even test his game last fall against NHlers? Oh, I love Stone, Peumpal, Noesen and Petersson and Hoffman (2 kids who proved what they can do in a North American game). Go in peace and may Alfie be with you.

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About the authors

Bruce Garrioch is an award-winning journalist and a must-read in the hockey community. A Day-Oner at the Ottawa Sun, Garrioch is one of the top sports journalists in the country, covering the Senators since their return to the NHL in 1992-93. A 2009 winner of an Ontario Newspaper Award for his coverage of the Dany Heatley saga, Garrioch has a strong ability to break news and brings inside information with his Sunday NHL column, one of the most popular in the country. It is read by GMs, players and coaches who want the inside scoop. Garrioch has covered the 2008 Stanley Cup final for Sun Media, the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City and 2006 Games in Turin, Italy. Mainly, Garrioch has the pulse of the Ottawa Senators. If people want to know what's happening they turn to him to get the info on contracts, negotiations, signings, trades and, of course, games.

Don Brennan is a Day 1 employee of the Ottawa Sun. He has spent the majority of his 23 years as a sports reporter/columnist, covering the Senators since their return to the NHL in 1992, and prior to that writing about the Rough Riders, 67's and other sports. Brennan also wrote a Page 6 column in the Sun for nine months. A native of North Bay, Brennan moved to attend Centennial College in 1978. He remained in Toronto for a decade, working first as a freelancer, than an editor with the Toronto Sun. Brennan has lived in Ottawa full time ever since.

Don Brennan and Bruce Garrioch are Ottawa's all-star hockey writing duo, and will be regularly contributing to Off The Posts.

Their combined experience covering local, national and international hockey means they have the sources to get the inside information on the Senators and the NHL which might not be available to others.

Check back often for notes, quotes and commentary. They might even disagree with each other once in awhile.